Course synopsis:
Some scientists contend that the Earth has entered a new geological age in which human actions and effects are the dominant force shaping the planet, a so-called “anthropocene.” Such a planet offers diminishing possibilities for other creatures to live beyond the influence of Homo sapiens. How do animals fit into human societies when human society is now so inescapable? Do animals still exert agency and shape how we live? And how can humans maintain ethical relationships to nonhuman critters? Can we share landscapes and ecosystems, much less an entire planet? This course explores these questions, surveying different approaches to the critical study of animals from the humanities as well as the natural, environmental, and social sciences. We will pursue these questions through scientific papers, philosophical essays, literature, films, and experiential learning activities.

Course synopsis:
“When I go to see my diabetes doctor, I feel that he and I are singing the same song.” This comment from a South African man battling chronic illness underlines the wonderful potential of the patient-provider relationship. We will be using the doctor-patient relationship and the patient experience as a lens to understand the place of illness and empathy in human existence. We will explore concepts of culture and global health. How does culture affect all of us? How might members of marginalized groups in the US and citizens of low and middle income countries experience the processes of illness and healing. Along the way, we will all be learning about ourselves, how it feels to express and receive empathy, and how the simple act of being curious make us better people.

Course synopsis:
College students have expressed outrage when their schools have invited controversial speakers to campus. Colleges justify these speakers as contributing to a free exchange of ideas while preparing students for the “real world.” At the same time, colleges encourage students to develop resilience, focusing on well-being, and prioritizing physical and emotional health. Can institutional goals related to speech and well-being be reconciled with your expectations and values? What does it mean to have a voice within a community? This class will provide an opportunity to answer these questions, decide what really matters to you and position you to make better choices while at Duke and beyond.

Course synopsis:
How does change happen? How do the possibilities for justice change if we are able to imagine outside the constraints of our current reality? This course introduces students to multiple forms of social change work, methods for radically imagining new future realities, and ways to lead action-oriented lives. Students will learn both (1) artistic and embodied strategies for imagining new futures and (2) the technical mechanisms for making change within legal and legislative systems. Students will integrate and field test these different approaches on issues that align with their interests.

Course synopsis:
Natural History of Civilization follows the example of “Guns Germs and Steel” in applying a natural science perspective to the study of human history. To understand human nature it may be important to recognize those elements of our cultures that are imposed on us by the principles of ecology and our interactions with the natural world. Mark Bertness has famously added cooperation and self-assembly to join the processes of competition and predation in shaping our civilization. Examples include the domestication of olives in regions where humans are lactose intolerant, and cooperation enforced by the once universal practice of public executions.

Course synopsis:
Black Arts Movement founder, Amiri Baraka, remarked, “Thought is more important than art. To revere art and have no understanding of the process that forces it into existence, is finally not even to understand what art is.”

Through the concepts and ideas of African American poets, this course offers a multidisciplinary perspective on the different ways poetry and song shape our thinking about race. Black poets have long traditions of amplifying their voices during historical resistances and inspiring humanity through the power of language. One crucial facet of this aesthetic exploration is the confluence of oral traditions like folk, spirituals, blues, and rap with contemporary black poetic production. Approaching both song and literature as diverse and parallel concepts, the primary focus of this course will be to examine the historical implications as well as the social, political, and economic impacts of black art and poetics.

We will hold close readings of works by black poets to explore various meanings of these works in both scholarly and creative ways. Required course assignments will consist of poetic analyses and reflective writing. Further, we will examine the works of major figures in black songwriting as diverse as Marvin Gaye and Tracy Chapman. Students will produce two major writing projects, a critical analysis that considers the agency of black voices as reflections of the social status and conditions of African American people and a research paper that examines the versatility of voice as communication, cultural exchange, and social change. The final assignment will include one creative project reflective of our inquiries. Prepare to engage in scholarly discussions and critique.

Course synopsis:
In the 1980s, biologist E.O. Wilson popularized the concept of “biophilia,” that humans have an innate desire to connect with the living world. Yet, 60% of the global population now lives in urban areas, and a recent Pew survey found that 31% of U.S. adults report being online “almost constantly.” Humans are increasingly disconnected from our biophilic nature, and that shift is impacting our health and well-being. Rates of anxiety and depression are on the rise, particularly among urbanites. Doctors are now prescribing a daily dose of nature to treat high blood pressure and anxiety, and people are turning to the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing,” to de-stress and recharge. The concept of biophilia has also extended to urban planning as initiatives like rooftop gardens, bird-friendly building design, and green beltways seek to reconnect humans with nature and increase biodiversity in cities.

In this course, we will use seminar-based discussions, research, and writing projects to examine nature’s health and wellness benefits and explore what it takes to design thriving biophilic cities. Our course materials will come from environmental science, urban planning, psychology, and conservation journals, popular magazines and books, and documentaries. In your final project, you will work collaboratively to propose an initiative that seeks to integrate nature into an urban space of your choosing. Throughout the semester, you will also take part in a fundamental element of academic writing: reading each other’s work and providing feedback for revisions. And, of course, we will get our dose of nature by holding class outside as much as possible, including taking several class visits to the Duke Gardens.

Course synopsis:
College is one of the many turning points in your coming of age. It is a time when you separate from your family of origin, and thus are in a unique position to be able to reflect on your identity. The questions – “Who am I?”, “Who do I want to be?”, & “What do I want?” – are often daily challenges as you navigate being more independent and living a good life. Together, we will explore your personal and academic identity development, especially in relation to your happiness. In particular, we will reflect on emerging adulthood & student development theories, as well as scientific research on happiness, to help us understand how various factors – such as socioeconomics, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, and culture – shape the development of your authentic self.

By using a variety of texts, videos, observations and interviews about coming of age and happiness, we will engage with the work of others, learn to articulate a position, and situate our writing within specific contexts. To begin, we will read, discuss, and write about our classroom treaty and student learning and other identity profiles using both our personal experiences and existing theories on coming of age and happiness (2-3 pages). Informed by these theories, we will engage in case study research, which involves in-depth descriptive and analytical writing.

The final project will be an exploration in the form of an in-depth personal narrative & analysis of some issue(s) significant to your coming of age and happiness (10-12 pages). The topic, and the related additional readings, will be carefully chosen by you so that each personal narrative will be relevant & meaningful as you continue your coming of age journey at Duke. Throughout the course, we will write self and peer evaluations (2 pages) of our academic writing, and thus collaboratively strengthen our ability to improve our works in progress.

If you are interested in and willing to learn about yourself & others through personal writing, discussions, readings, along with some yoga & mindfulness, then this Wr101 class might be a great opportunity for you.

Course synopsis:
Can brain scans identify a “criminal mind?” Do we have free will, or can we blame the brain for our moral shortcomings?

Can we harness brain power to build a happier, healthier self? Are humans wired for social connection?

Will artificial intelligence unlock the secrets of the brain?

This course will introduce you to the goals and practices of academic writing as we evaluate how neuroscience can inform ethical, legal, and medical questions of our time. We will reflect on themes both ancient and modern: How can neuroscience inform our understanding of our own minds? And how can that understanding, fueled by cutting-edge advances in brain imaging, impact our modern society? Along the way, we explore scientific inquiry – the process by which scientists work together to build and communicate ideas. You will experience this process first-hand, taking on several roles along the way – the scholar learning to respond to scientific texts, the ambassador deciphering complex research for a public audience, and the researcher working in collaboration with other scientists (your classmates!).

Across the semester, you will write two major projects: a scholarly perspective piece (4 pages) and a scientific literature review (~12 pages), both of which will synthesize neuroscientific research to address a societal problem of your choice (e.g., racial bias, disease treatment, juvenile sentencing, drug addiction). For the latter project, you will work on a team of 2-3 students, co-writing the literature review.

This course is ideally suited for students interested in neuroscience, psychology, biology, or the law. The course is built on three principles. First, writing is a vehicle for critical thinking. It is the tool by which you will bridge the classroom and the real world. Second, good writing depends on revision. Thus, you will have many opportunities to practice giving and receiving meaningful feedback amongst your peers. Third, scientific innovation requires collaboration. By joining this Writing 101, you agree to be a contributing member of a team.

Course synopsis:

The historical trajectory off Science fiction stories in various media formats is rife with tales and figures that mirror and challenge the bounds of contemporary and ancient philosophical definitions of humanity – especially within African American and Black communities. Moreover, the creation and dissemination of these critical imaginaries in media are linked to particular histories and theories of what it means to be human. Science fiction in these communities have a history of creating narratives and imaginaries that specifically counter hegemonic depictions of humanity and challenge the types of beings/people get excluded from such depictions.

In this way, science fiction stories from these communities can be understood as educational, as “hidden” curricula — discourses that embody sets of norms and values about humanity, race, gender, class, and authority that “unteach” and serve as critical sites for young people to question how they understand themselves and their own identities. They provide narratives through which people come to question the way that they have been classified through other societal structures including educational framework, judicial systems and economic institutions. They offer spaces to resist dominant, damaging representations and conceptualize new ones.

In this course, we will engage with various contemporary media formats that engage science fiction and race (comic books, digital comics, graphic novels, movies, and television shows). A key purpose of the course is to learn how to investigate the ways these media participate in creating “hidden curricula” that emphasize differing philosophies and understandings of what it means to be a human being. Our course texts will include published academic articles, websites and videos that offer examples of methods/data for researching language use.

We will explore the following questions: how do different science fiction shows/movies like Star Trek, Star Wars, Naomi, See, and The Orville, as well as Afrofuturistic comics like World of Wakanda, and early science fiction stories from the African American and Black communities challenge mainstream assumptions about the desired characteristics of human beings? What concepts of difference and sameness differentiate people from each other, and how do these concepts reflect, complicate and shape notions of race in the United States or differ from them entirely?

Course synopsis:
For well over one hundred years, sports have played an important role in American (and world) culture. And as long as there have been sports, people have written about them. From game reports in newspapers to biographies to autobiographies to predictions for the future to pure fiction, writings related to sports run the gamut. They often cross the line from journalism to literature or even poetry.

In this class we will examine how writing about sports has changed over time before students embark upon several sports-related writing projects of their own. First, students will produce a memoir-type paper on their experiences with sports. Athlete or fan, success or failure, funny or sad–everyone has a story!

Secondly, students will produce a paper on an element of sports history. Sports have helped shape society (think Jackie Robinson’s integration of baseball) or been shaped by them (think performance enhancing drugs or Olympic boycotts). For this paper, students will go beyond the obvious and do some research to examine a bit of sporting history.

A large part of writing about sports involves telling stories about others, often using the words of those people. The next project will consist of interviewing a sports personality. To do this successfully, students will do any necessary research so that relevant questions can be asked of their subjects.

Finally, students will get in touch with their creativity. They will craft a short story that is limited only by imagination. The only requirement is that the story has to include some sporting element.

Course synopsis:
Dear Reader…

When it comes to Oscar nominations, there are always snubs and surprises. But this year, the biggest talking point came from the fact that while Ryan Gosling was nominated for his role as Ken (well deserved) in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie film, neither the director nor Barbie herself, Margot Robbie, received nominations. Maybe we could overlook this…that is, if the film hadn’t been nominated for Best Picture, which seems to imply, at best, that a film which grossed over a billion dollars at the box office ($1.4, to be exact), directed itself.

But what does this have to do with Taylor Swift? Moments like this in pop culture, far from being innocuous and irrelevant, serve as a cultural mirrorball, reflecting back and magnifying our own struggles navigating what the world expects of us. This course, then, proposes to examine some of those struggles through the lens of Taylor Swift. Over the semester, we’ll move through The Eras, applying Stuart Hall’s theories of “encoding” and “decoding,” and examining Swift’s discography through various intertextual lenses (narrative, lyrics, cultural). We will also seek to trace thematic developments and evolving life lessons in her songs, as well as the media narratives which surround her and her Reputation. Finally, we’ll look at pieces of the Miss Americana documentary where Time’s 2023 Person of the Year poses the same question we’re asking of you: What now?

We’ll explore the answers all too well through (1) weekly readings and album streamings; (2) seminar discussions which will be led by you & your peers in small groups; (3) a series of low-stakes writing assignments designed to complexify what you know about the writing process & practice essential skills including a lyrical analysis and a literature review; and (4) the development of a capstone podcast project, which will ask you to work in small groups to synthesize arguments into a cohesive & coherent conversation.

…[are you] Ready For It?

This course is best suited for those who are interested in the intersection of media studies with critical analyses of race, gender, sexuality and identity. Do not be fooled by appearances: this course is not just listening to Taylor Swift songs. You will be expected to critically engage with the texts, visual, auditory, and written. Prior knowledge of Taylor Swift is not required; all levels of Swifties are welcome.

No textbook will be required; you will be asked to stream albums via Spotify.

Course synopsis:
Mark Menjivar’s photo essay “You Are What You Eat” (Gastronomica, Fall 2012) is a collection of twelve photographs depicting the inside of various refrigerators. Accompanying each photograph is a short, two-sentence biography of the household, a nod to Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin’s famous quip, “Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are.” Food—and by extension cooking, ingredients, and personal eating preference—are all shaped by an individual’s history and culture. In this course, we will use food as our lens to explore how personal identity gets expressed and shaped by one’s food history. How might our own food stories shape our understanding not just of ourselves, but of others and even our entire planet? Our exploration through the multidisciplinary field of food studies, which includes scholarship from disciplines like anthropology, history, literature, and environmental science, will push us to consider how food—symbolically and rhetorically—defines who we are (or who we are not).

To accomplish our work, we will read diverse selections from a variety of popular food experts. In seminar discussions, we will focus on their use of personal voice and their research practices to guide us through two semester-long projects. The first will consist of regular contributions to a class writing project which will necessitate practice in writing, editing, and revising. The skills and knowledge you learn through this process of co-creating the text will feed into our second major project of the course, an individual narrative essay that draws upon field research to analyze a personal food history. Finally, we will close our course by compiling a community class cookbook to share with the larger Duke Community.

Throughout the semester, we will have deeply considered the work of others, including our peers, as well as learned how to conduct primary research, revise our writing, and shape work for specific contexts.